lefpler



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1'. P. W. LEFFLBR. MOTOR GAR TRUCK.

No. 573,823. Patented Deo. 22, 1896.

unuoo nari-.fiamma (No Model.) s sheets-sheet 2. P. W. LEPFLBR.

MOTOR CAR TRUCK.

Patented Dec. Z2, 1896.

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DLI-MUN KUU.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. W. LEFPLBR. 4MOTOR GAR TRUCK.

No. 573,823. Patented Deo. Z2, 1896.

lil HI (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. W. LEFPLBR.

MOTOR CAR TRUCK.

No. 573,823. Patented Deo. Z2, 1896.

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vii/U55 HtltKtNUl; SILAHUH KUL (No Model.) i 6 Sheets-Sheet 5. P. W. LBFFLER. MOTOR OAR TRUCK.

No. 573,823. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

CROSS REFERENCE SEARCH HUUR,

(No Model.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 6. P. W. LEPFLER.

Mo'ro UAB TRUCK.

Patented Deo. 22, 1896.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL \V. LEFFLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEFFLER ELECTRO MAGNETIC RAILVAY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MOTOR-CAR TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 573,823, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed March 21, 1896. Serial No. 584|309. (No model.)

To (LIZ whom, it may concern:

13e itknown that l, PAUL W. LEFFLER, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illipois, have invented certain new and useful lin provements in Motor-Car Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be af ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

M y invention relates to electric motors and motor-trucks, and was especially designed for use in connection with that system of electric propulsion for railways and other traveling bodies which is disclosed in certain prior patents and pending applications of mine, identitled as follows: Unit-ed States Patent No. 511,591, of date February 13, 1894; United States 'Patent No. 511,71 8, of date Februarv 13. 1891; application, Serial No. S,992, tiled August 1i', 1895; application, Serial No. 558,993, filed August l, 1895; application, Serial No. 559,702, filed August 19, 1895; application, Serial No. 563,716, filed September 26, 1895; application, Serial No. 561,981, filed October 8, 1895, and application, Serial No. 582,760, tiled March 1l, 1896.4 Some of the features of the invention are, however, capable of general application to all kinds of car-trucks wherein six or more wheels are employed anda flexible construction is desired.

The special obj ect had in view is to provide a truck of six or more wheels which shall be suiiciently flexible for ready adaptation to curves and irregularities of the road-bed and at the same time be suiiiciently strong and rigid for the work required. In the system of propulsion identified in the above-noted patents and applications field-magnets are located in the line of travel and a non-rotating armature is carried on the car. For many classes of work alarge motor-truck is required with a non-rotating armature of considerable length supported underneath the truckaxles at a point near the electroduct7 or electric conduit in t-he road-bed, wherein are placed the magnets of the field.

My invention was especially designed to meet the requirements above noted.

To this end the invention consists of `the novel devices and. combinations of devi si hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like notations referring to like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved truck with some parts broken away and others removed. Fig. :2 is a side elevation of the sameand some ot' the field-magnets with some parts broken away and some shown in section. Fig. 3 is a det-ail in i'iel'speotive, on a large scale, showinga part ot' the armature removed from the car. Fig. 4 is a right end elevation of the car-truck, as shown in Fig. 1, with a part of the road-bed shown in section. Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in elevation and partly in section and with some port-ions broken way, showing the joint connecting the truc y-sections. Fig. (5 is a plan view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and some portions broken away. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail lviews of the joint connecting the two trucks and arma-ture-sections said Fig. 7 beinga view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section, said Fig. 8 being a View part-ly in plan and partly in horizontal section with some parts broken away, and said Fig. 9 being a view in cross-section on the line :r9 009 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a view in longitudinal vertical section through a part of the car-truck and through some of the fieldmagnets in the road-bed. Fig. l1 is a plan view of some of the field-magnets.

In respect to the electric devices shown in the drawings it will only be necessary to briefly distinguish such parts as are needed to render clear the purpose of the improved truck.

The track-rails a, the ties a', and the pavement a2 for a surface road, as shown in Fig. 4, may be of the customary or any suitable construction. The field-magnets b are spaced apart from each other in the line of travel, with their cores rising from a common basebar b', which is bolted or otherwise secured to the cross-ties al. These field-magnets b are supplied with current from a dynamo or other source at a central station and are so wound that adjacent members thereof are of apposite polarity. The circuitconnections ICO CROSS REFERENCE for the said held-magnets are so constructed and applied as to constitute out of said fieldmagnets a successiveseries of field-sections, which are normally cut out of the supply-circuit,butwhich are adapted to be cut into the supply-circuit under the control of the car. The said field-sections are cut in and out by means of magnetic switch-boxes having magnetic controllers subject to the action of the armature on the car. The circuit connections for said field-magnets and the construction of said switch-boxes are not shown, but the positions of the switch-boxes are indicated by the magnetic controllers b2 and the switchbox covers b3, as shown in Fig. 2, and by the same parts, together with some of the switchbox magnets and connections b4, as shown in Fig. 10.

' With the ield-lnagnets b in the line of travel cooperates a non-rotating armature carried on the car. This armature, according to my present invention, is constructed in two sections, which it will be convenient to distinguish as the front and rear sections, respectively, with regard to their relative positions on the truck. So far as the core and coils or windings of these armature-sections are concerned the same are identical with the construction shown in some of my prior cases above identied. The core of each armature-section is laminated or made up of a series of plates having body portions and projecting portions, which plates thus formed, when put together,` constitute a core having a continuous body c and downwardly-projecting pole-pieces c". The said core-plates c c' are clamped between a pair of iron side plates c2, having a continuous body portion and downwardly extending projections, corresponding to the form of the core-plates, and also provided with upwardly-extending projections, between which are placed wooden spacing-blocks c3. Nutted draw-bolts c4 connect the upward extensions of the side plates c2 through the spacing-blocks c3. Between the downward projections of the core-plates c c' and the side plates cL are placed illing tlrips or blocks c5, of wood or similar material. against the lower margins of the side plates c2 and the ends of the filling-blocks c5 by nutted cross rods or bolts c7, working through the parts c5 and c. The coils c8 of the armature are wound about the body portion c of the core between the polar projections c'. As shown, the said coils cS also embrace the body portions of the side plate c2 and are separated above the body of the core by the transverse spacing-blocks c3, before noted. The winding of the armature is of such a character and so connected up as to form out of the coils c8 several series or sets provided with independent wires to brushes cooperating with .the segments of a suitable commutator (shown at d in Fig. 10) for changing the polar-ities of the armature pole-pieces c' in the proper order for the desired coperation with the field-i propel the car. The said commutator CZ is driven, according to the speed of the car, by a magnetic rotary pole-chan ger d', subject to the field-magnets l), as shown in Fig. 10, and coupled with the commutator through suitable connections d?. The current for the armature on the car is supplied by a suitable battery carried by the car or from any other desired source through suitable connections. (Not shown.)

As a detail of construction it may be noted that all the core-plates c c' are pressed out on their longitudinal centers to form a projecting rib on one side and a groove on the other side of V shape in cross-section, as shown at c9 in Fig. 4. The side plates c'l are of the proper corresponding construction, one thereof being provided with a V-shaped rib cw and the other with a V-shaped groove cu. Hence the core-plates c c' may be made to engage with each other and be engaged by magnets l to the side plates c?, with the said V-shaped ribs `hold the same l skeleton frame,

pair of wooden side bars c6 are clamped ing parts on and grooves interlocking with each othfiz This feature of construction renders it easy to accurately center or aline all the said plates in proper position relative to each other and from displacement.

Turning now to the truck and truck-frame proper, as distinguished from the armaturesections, the several axles are marked f and the wheelsf'. All the truck-axles are mounted in the usual or any suitable way in proper SEARCH i.

boxes f2. The forward pair of truck-axles f 10o with their boxes f2 carr rigid side bars or framesf "i, from which is supported by suitable -springsf4 a skelet-on frame fiffffs for supportingthe car-body. The springs f4 encircle suitable combined tie and guide bolts f, connecting the parts f5 and fi, through the side bars in the usual way. Otherwise, and more briey stated, the two forward trucks are mounted as an ordinary rigid fourwheeled truck.

The rear truck-axle fand its boxes f2 carry side bars or frames fw, from which, in a similar way, is supported a corresponding short the parts of which are numbered with the same letters as the correspondthe forward truck for supporting the rear end of the car-body, to wit: f to fg, inclusive. The springs are also marked f4 on the rear truck.

On the several truck-axles f are mounted han ger-f rames composed of boxes f 11, directly inward of the wheel-hubs, and transoms or transverse bars f 12, connecting the said pairs of boxes and embracing the axle. All of these hanger frames f f12 are provided with hanger-rods or arms which extend downward and inward toward the center oi the truck to p oints below the axles and are attached directly or indirectly to the armature-sections for cooperation in the support ofthe armature from the hanger-frames on the truckaxles. The said hanger-rods f13 as constructed for use in connection with the hangerframes on the front and rear axles are made in sections. The rear pair of said hangerrods f13 connect with the rear end of the rear armature-section by means of a cap or euplike casting f 14, which embraces the armature and is rigidly bolted thereto. The said hanger-rods f13 for the rear truck-axle connect with the said casting f1* in such a way as to be adjustable, as, for example, by means of nipples f15 on the casting, having screwthreaded engagement with the lower ends of the hanger-arms,and the hanger-arms are provided with jam-nuts]C16 for locking the sa-me wherever set. At their upper ends the said hanger-rods f13 work through perforated lugs f on the boxes f 1 and are provided with nuts j outward of the lugs for tightening the same in position. The said casting f1" at the rear section of the armature is also provided with an upwardly-projecting yoke-like casting f 19, the heads of which bear against the lower faces of the transoms f12 and are made fast to the `transoms by nutted bolts fw, passing through the same and a top cross-tie plate f 21. By this construction it will be seen that the rear armature-section is rigidly supported and braced, with a trussing action, from the hanger-frame f11 f1? on the rear axle. The han ger-arms fis, coperatin g with the hangerframe f f12 on the front axle, are applied in the same way to the boxes f at their upper or outer ends; but their lower or inner ends connect to a hollow castin g f2?, (shown in Fig. 10,) which serves as a housing for the rotary pole-changer cl and as a means for supporting the forward end of the front armaturesection. The lower ends of the said hangerrods f13 on the forward axle are attached to the said casting j22 by screw-threaded nipples and jam-nuts in substantially the same way as the rear hanger-rods f13 are attached to the casting f 14. The side plates of the front section of the armature are shown in Fig. l0 as provided with side flanges 012, which are bolted to the rear end of the said casting f2?.

The central hanger-arms f23 are not made in sections, but are entire throughout and are of a length to reach from one of the boxes f11 to the other on the central hanger-frame, and are also formed with a central dip for bringing the central parts of the same to points below the level of the central truck-axle, as best shown in Fig. 5. The facing or coupling ends of the two armature-sections are fitted with end cap-castings f 24, which are adapted to be bolted to lateral lugs f2s, projecting from the side plates c2 of the armature-sections. Angular lugs fm are embraced between the perforated ears of the castings f214k and the lugs f25, and all the said parts are secured together by common nutted bolts f2?. The angular lugs f2 are engaged bythe central or inner ends of turnbuckle brace-rods f2s, two of which extend forward and have their outer ends made fast to the hangerboxes f11 of the front axle, and two of which extend rearward and have their outer or upper ends made fast to the hanger-boxes f 11 on the rear axle. The two castings f24 are provided with the cooperating members of a balland-socket joint, which serves to couple together the two armatln'e-sections and the two rigid truck-sections. The ball portion f29 of this joint' is in the form of a hook-like head projecting forward from the cap-casting 7024, applied to the rear armature-section. The socket member of the said joint is made up of a fixed section fao, cast integral with and projecting from the cap-casting i, applied to the forward armature-section, and of a removable section fm, adapted to be bolted fast to the fixed section f3() after the ball meinber fig has been placed in position. The two sectionsf30 and f31 of the socket member are provided, at their upper ends, with quartersections f32 of a box-like yoke, adapted to embrace a hanger-yoke fi. The cap or upper half of said box f32 f33 is bolted fast to the parts f32 after the yoke f34 is in position. The yoke fat has its upper ends made fast by nutted bolts to the transoms f12 of the central hanger-frame. The yoke f34 is provided with hook-lugs f3, which are engaged by the hangerrods The side frames or bars f1U of the rear truck-frame have attached to their forward ends pairs of brace-rods f3?, which extend inward and forward and are made fast by bolts f3S to lugplates fm', bolted fast to the rear armaturesection, near its forward end, as best shown in Figs. l, 5, and G. The frames the parts of which are marked j to f, inclusive, are provided with center plates f4, mounted between guides f, fixed to the parts]CS for longitudinal movement therein against springs f4?, reacting between the said center plates and suitable back-stops or base-plates )my fixed to the guides f. rlhe top bars f5 of the car-body-supporting frame are provided with rollers f44 and fr". The rollers f are located at the forward end of the front frame and centrally of lthe rear frame and are arranged crosswise of the truck for taking the backward and forward motion of the carbody g, (shown in Fig. 4,) while the rollers j45 are located near the rear end of the forward frame and are arranged lengthwise of the truck for taking the side motion of the car-body. A small portion of the car-body g, together with its rear-end center plate g', is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The dierent parts ot' my improved truck have now been specified. From the said description it must be obvious that a six-wheeled truck is obtained composed of two sections, consisting of a rigid four-wheeled forward truck and a rigid two-wheeled rear truck, which are connected or coupled together by a universal joint for permitting angular motion of the two rigid trucks in respect to each other. It is also obvious that the two rigid truck-sections carry each one section of a rigid non-rotating armature composed of two sections, which are also coupled together by lOO IOS

the same universaljoint, which serves to unite l the two truck-sections. By inspection of the drawings it will also be seen that this universal-joint couplingis located in a vertical line through the center of the entire or sixwheeled truck. Otherwise stated, it will be i found that if diagonal lines be drawn from the outer ends of the forward-truck axle to the outer ends of the rear-truck axle when l the two truck-sections or all the wheels of the trucks on corresponding sides are in line with each other the said diagonal lines will intersect or cross in a vertical line through the universal-joint coupling. The front and i rear trucks, therefore, stand related to the I central truck as two .similar triangles having t a common apex at the universal-joint coupling. Hence the rear rigid truck and its armature-section will cooperate with the fourwheeled or forward rigid truck -frame as nearly as possible on lines coincident with the longitudinal median line of the entire truck. Otherwise stated, the pulling and pushingr strains of the two truck-sections in respect 5 to each other under all their angular adjustl ments will depart as little as possible from j the central line of the rigid four-wheeled forward truck produced. This is highly iml portant for enabling the entire or six-wheeled l truck to adapt itself to curves with the minimum of angular displacement of the ar1na- I ture in respect to the field-magnets or electric i conduit in the road-bed. j

From the description of the parts it is also obvious that the armature-sections are supported from the truc i-axles in such a way as I to be absolutely rigid with the respective y truck-frames and as to be trussed or braced with a trussing action in every direction. A iiexible six-wheeled truck is therefore obtained which is sufficiently strong to stand l the rough usage required in the service. It will also be noted that in virtue of the springcnshioned mounting of the center plates f4" for supporting the car-body, as described, the car-body will be spring-cushioned longitudinally in respect to the movements of the truck. This is an important feature foravoiding violent shocks and jars to the car-body and passengers in starting and stopping the car.

One or two further details of the construction should have been noted. Four short hooks f connect the four corners of the eastings f, applied to the coupling ends of the armature-sections with the transoms f12 of the central hanger-frame, as best shown in Figs. -and G. These hooksf46 help to carry part of the weight of the armature-sections and have suicient motion in the seats or lugs engaged thereby on the transoms and castings, so as not to interfere with the necessar f lateral or angular motion of the reartruck frame. These hooks f4 also serve to prevent any sidewise rocking motion of the armature-sections at their coupling ends.

In Figs. 2 and l0 I-bealns b5 are shown as applied transversely to the under surface of the base-bar b' of the field-magnet cores b v means of hook-anges b and screw-bolts ZF. The purpose of these bars b5 is to bind the base-bar of the field-magnet core to the rails of the track, so as to hold the same together in one common horizontal plane. Inasm uch as the rails of the track and the base-bar of the field-magnet core are thus bound together and all supported by the common cross-ties, they must always move up and down together in case of settling of the ties or decay of the same.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. The combination with a sectional truck7 of a sectional armature, carried, one section on each of said truck-sections, and a common universal joint or joints applied to couple together said truck-sections and said armaturesections.

2. A six-wheeled truck having a non-rotating armature, with the truck and the armature each constructed in two rigid sections, coupled together bya common universal joint located at the center of the six-wheeled truck, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car-truck, of a non-rotatin g arm atn re, han ger-frames, boxed on the truck-axles and hanger-arms supporting the said armature from the said hangerframes.

l. The combination with a car-truck and a non-rotating armature, of hanger-frames on the truck-axles, consisting of end boxes on the axles directly inward of the wheels, and transoms connecting the said boxes and embracing the axle, and han ger-arms having their upper ends connected to the said boxes, and their lower ends connected directly or indirectly, to the said armature, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the sectional sixwheeled truck and the sectional armature, coupled together bya com mon universal joint, of the hanger-frames mounted on the axles, and the hanger-arms connecting the said hanger-frames with the armature-sections, all of which hanger-arms are provided with means for adjusting the saine relative to the hanger-frames and the armature-section, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the six-wheeled truck constructed in two rigid sections, coniprising, respectively, the four-wheeled forward section and the two-wheeled rear section, of the two corresponding armature-sections, carried by said respective truck-sections, the ball-and-socket joint applied to couple together said armatnre-seetions and said trucksections, the hanger-frames boxed on the truck-axles, the hanger-arms connecting the armature-sections with said hanger-frames, and the longitudinal turnbnckle brace-rods f28 applied to brace the han ger-frames and the armature-sections, lengthwise thereof, substantially as described.

IOC

IIO

7. The combination with the sectional truck and the sectional armature, of the ball-andsocket joint coupling together the armature and the truck sections, the hanger-frame mounted on the central truck-axle,the hangerarms f23, as described, the yoke fSi made fast to the socket member of the ball-and-socket joint and to the transoms of said hangerframe, and provided with hooks fs, engaging over the depressed or central portions of said hanger-arms, substantially as described.

S. The combination withthe sectional truck and the sectional armature, of the ball-andsocket joint coupling together said truck sections and said armature section, the hanger-frame mounted on the truck-axles, the rear hanger-arms f13 connecting the boxes f 11 of the rear hanger-frame to the rear end of the rear armature-section, by means of the casting f, the forward hanger-arms f13 connecting the boxes f11 of the forward hanger-frame with the forward end of the front armature-section, by means of the casting f2, the central hanger-arms f2s, the yoke f34 engaging the said arm and made fast to the socket member of the ball-and-socket joint and to the transoms of the central hanger-frame, the hooks f4 connecting the corners of the casting f24 with the said transoins f12 of the central hanger, and the diagonal brace-rods f2s, made fast, at their inner ends, to the coupling ends of the armaturesections, and, at their outer ends, to the boxes of the front and rear hanger-frames, substantially as described.

0. The combination with the four-Wheeled forward truck-section and the two-Wheeled rear truck-section, of the armature-sections carried by said truck-sections, the universal joint coupling together said truck and armature sections, the rigid frame for the fourwheeled section, and the rigid frame for the two-wheeled section, composed of the sidc bars f 10 and the bars f3?, extending forward from the side bars f 1U and inward to a j unction with the rear armature-section and made fast thereto, near its forward end, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL XV. LEFFLER.

\Vitnesses z RALPH R. BRADLEY, ADAMS A. GooDRICH. 

